Director Mani Ratnam is gearing up for his release film Kadal, which is set to hit the screens on February 1.

The director says that though the story is set in a fishing village, the story is universal, with which everyone could relate to. It is a story of an individual caught between good and evil. When asked if it was a conscious decision to cast Gautham Karthik and Thulasi, son of veteran actor Karthik and daughter of veteran actress as their parents had made their tinsel town debut together, the director dismissed it as a mere coincidence.

The director, who began his innings with Pallavi Anupallavi , said that he is just warming up and that he has a long way to go.